Should I go for this ?

GM · June 26th, 2013, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by Altec Best

Well I think the collect ability and value shot up the moment Altec went out of business.Now that you can no longer purchase these units/speakers new,that will certainly always drive up prices.Plus for their price IMHO Altec is the best, for durability,value, and sound for their price point.Altec has always been my Favorite speaker company ! And I don't see that changing anytime soon,and I grew up after the Baby Boomers...

It began long before, shortly after it became obvious that LING was gutting them, so local theaters and especially other countries began 'stockpiling', me included. Altec's closing just when the 'net was 'taking off' kicked it up a notch and the 'easy money' of the dot.com and other 'get rich quick' folks sent it into maximum overdrive.

You're in the minority. Go to DIYaudio or similar and post a poll for the < 30 yr olds as to whether or not they would pay primo $$ for 'old tech' prosound components, speakers that take up a lot of living room real estate, or even current tech for that matter.

A part of me hopes I'm wrong as their over inflated prices once kept me from losing my house, but I'd rather be able to buy it either 'dirt' cheap or free for the asking like I did in the late '60s thru the early '80s as so-called 'recovery' [recycling/landfill] fees kept increasing.

GM

**Altec Best** · June 27th, 2013, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by GM

You're in the minority. Go to DIYaudio or similar and post a poll for the < 30 yr olds as to whether or not they would pay primo $$ for 'old tech' prosound components, speakers that take up a lot of living room real estate, or even current tech for that matter.

GM

Probably.. That's OK with me.. I don't go to the DIY forum too much cause most of the projects there 80/90% are Bookshelf speakers that don't interest me much.And for the 30 year olds,it's probably cause many of them may not have heard a properly set up Altec system.Can they build a great sounding speaker system with todays drivers ? Absolutely ! They are just not for me. If my speakers aren't up to the ceiling they are too small.

FWIW- I already have all the Altec drivers I need,so for me to use todays drivers it would be an added expense.But i don't have H808's that i would love to own..

I'm just an Altec guy through and through.They just sound right to my ears.To each his own, I like to say !

**alancohen** · June 28th, 2013, 10:19 PM

So...who bought it for $8865?

**sanhanul** · June 29th, 2013, 12:57 AM

Not me

Now I feel better because it is end.

**magnarc** · June 29th, 2013, 12:59 AM

Gosh, Even my upper estimates were low!!

**Old Guy** · June 29th, 2013, 08:38 AM

I believe the original 808 was tar filled- the ones in the auction were not. there was also an adapter for the 555W. I shudder to think about the cost for a set of those. We'd be talking a mortgage.

**bowtie427ss** · June 29th, 2013, 08:55 AM

Final bid is as much a reflection of the value of the US dollar as the speakers themselves. For some regions on the globe, the USA is on sale at an ever increasing discount.

GM · June 29th, 2013, 10:24 AM

Originally Posted by magnarc

Gosh, Even my upper estimates were low!!

I figured they were long term worth at least $10 k if in decent working order, so could be a minor bargain at the sale price. If the horns had been the original tar filled, it would have been in the realm of 'if you have to ask'.........

GM

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Originally Posted by bowtie427ss

Final bid is as much a reflection of the value of the US dollar as the speakers themselves. For some regions on the globe, the USA is on sale at an ever increasing discount.

Sad, but true......... the king is dead, long live the king!

GM

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Originally Posted by Old Guy

there was also an adapter for the 555W. I shudder to think about the cost for a set of those. We'd be talking a mortgage.

I wonder if any have survived as I imagine they were rare to begin with, which would mean it would probably have to be a movie star's mansion's mortgage to have a sporting chance of having the winning bid.

GM

**Alien_Shore** · June 29th, 2013, 11:56 AM

Collector / investor stuff for sure...
That's a snappy price indeed! Interesting that the 2nd place bidder used a snipe service, but the winner had some deep pockets - they wanted those things for sure!

**Audio_by_Goodwill** · June 29th, 2013, 03:41 PM

What made this set go so high? I've seen 800's on ebay many times before, but I don't think they've gotten this kind of money. Maybe the obvious willingness to ship with the pictures of the wings all wrapped up? I think that may have been a nod to the shipping container crowd.